Adam Curchack topped a field of 724 entries to win the Season 5 WPTDeepStacks Thunder Valley Main Event on Monday at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. Curchack earned his first WPTDeepStacks title and $130,000 in first-place prize money, which included a $3,000 championship prize package.
“I’m overwhelmed by this feeling right now, it’s amazing,” Curchack said right after the victory.
Curchack made a run to the title despite coming into the final table fifth in chips and having a short stack throughout most of the early going.
“I came in this morning feeling good,” Curchack said. “I didn’t get nervous even when I was short in chips.”
If Curchack’s name sounds familiar, it may be because he’s found success at Thunder Valley before. Back in Season 3, he took fourth place in the WPTDeepStacks Thunder Valley Main Event.
“I finished fourth here two years ago, which was my biggest score, and honestly poker has been a lot of pain and suffering since that score,” Curchack said. “A few cashes, but never a final table. I was starting to get a little discouraged, and I thought I’m going to come up here (Curchack lives in nearby Petaluma, California) and play the best that I can, and if it doesn’t work out, I’m going to take a nice break. And here I am winning it, it’s a dream come true honestly.”
Curchack was also a big fan of the new poker room at Thunder Valley Casino Resort.
“The new poker room is phenomenal,” Curchack said. “My only complaint about the old poker room was breathing in the cigarettes, and the slot machine noise was overwhelming. In here it is beautiful, a really nice facility. I’m stoked to be here.”
Season 5 WPTDS Thunder Valley Final Table Results
1st: Adam Curchack – $130,000*
2st: Sean Marshall – $89,115
3rd: Ravi Udayakumar – $57,465
4th: Mike Noori – $42,490
5th: Brian Altman – $32,375
6th: Eddie Barna – $25,705
7th: John Hadley – $21,285
8th: Hafiz Khan – $16,935
9th: Raghuram Jonnalagedda – $12,715
*First-place prize money includes the $3,000 championship package.
Cards were in the air at 12 p.m. PT for the final table, and there were half a dozen double ups before Raghuram Jonnalagedda busted in ninth place. Hafiz Khan followed him to the rail a short time later in eighth place. John Hadley took a couple of tough beats when opponents doubled through him early in the day, and that led to his exit in seventh place.
Another flurry of double ups ensued before Eddie Barna took his leave in sixth place. WPT Champions Club member Brian Altman was the next player to hit the rail, falling in fifth place, and then four more double ups kicked off four-handed play before Michael Noori was eliminated in fourth place.
Curchack then scored a huge double to take a commanding chip lead. Ravi Udayakumar lost that big hand and was forced to shove in his short stack a short time later. The hand didn’t work out and Udayakumar fell in third place to set up the final match between Curchack and Sean Marshall.
Curchack held more than a 2-1 chip advantage entering heads-up play and it didn’t last too long. On the final hand, Curchack raised to 825,000 preflop on the button and Marshall reraised all in for 6.9 million. Curchack called to cover him and the two players tabled their cards.
Curchack: 
Marshall: 
The board ran out 
and Marshall was eliminated in second place, good for $89,115. Curchack won the top prize worth $130,000, which included a $3,000 championship prize package, and he also took home the WPTDeepStacks trophy.
Congratulations to the newest WPTDeepStacks champion, Adam Curchack!
Up Next for WPTDeepStacks in North America
The next two stops for Season 5 of the WPTDeepStacks schedule in North America are WPTDS Immokalee and WPTDS Fresno. WPTDS Immokalee is running now as part of the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown festival, with Day 1b of that event to come on Tuesday, April 10. The WPTDS Fresno festival kicks off May 11 and the $1,100 Main Event kicks off May 17. The WPTDS Fresno $1,100 Main Event boasts a $300,000 guarantee.
Stay tuned to WPT.com for the latest news and updates from the World Poker Tour, including WPTDeepStacks. Don’t forget to follow WPTDeepStacks on Twitter, like the tour’s page on Facebook, and check it out on Instagram, too!